RE: Advanced Job Scheduler

Most of the IBM software for IBM i and Power8 in general have trial periods
on them. You can download them from the ESS site.

IBM DID try to set up internet purchasing about the time Power5 came out.
You could buy a couple or three preconfigured systems that once they shipped
would run your applications after plugging it in and powering it up the
first time. First off, no one wanted to buy what was offered, and those
that did want to buy from the web site had too many variations on the order
so it wound up going to a human anyway.

Try and buy a Microsoft server. OK, which variety of Windows Server applies
to me? What licensing model do I use, and how many machines do I need to
run SQL server (several variations there) plain old file serving, Web
serving, etc. etc. You need a flaming PhD in Microsoft License agreements
to figure it out. IBM is really simple by comparison. The same is true for
Oracle software. Going to the cloud, man you better have your act together
to figure out what to buy, and how to buy it.

Open source you say! Yep, that's not complicated at all with all the
dependencies and where to find things etc. Good luck.

My point is our business by definition has gotten very complicated. It's
not the old AS/400 days anymore. The utopia of self-serve in this
environment went away with systems that run database, web site, security,
and all the other applications we use on a daily basis particularly on the
same platform. It's far less complicated to fly a Boeing 777 from New York
to Los Angeles (assuming no problems in flight) than it is to put up a
competently set up system.

So: AJS is an extra cost item. In that case there are no dependencies.
You can download from ESS and use it for 70 days without a license. It's
got 99% of the feature function you will actually use. You need a business
partner to configure and quote it; although there are folks at IBM you can
get on the phone that will sell it to you at list. (BPs will usually
discount some)

--
Jim Oberholtzer
Agile Technology Architects


-----Original Message-----
From: MIDRANGE-L [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Pete
Helgren
Sent: Wednesday, March 30, 2016 9:42 AM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: Re: Advanced Job Scheduler

I have long loved the irony of IBM internal systems not being part of the
"Smarter Planet" initiatives they promote for your own business. I guess it
would be easy to do if your business were monolithic and relatively small,
but IBM acquires new companies like Solomon acquired wives, so I can imagine
that integrating the ordering and invoicing across so many entities must be
an enormous task.

That being said, I do business directly with IBM, not through a BP, because
I am a developer and take advantage of the developer discount program and I
marvel that in 2016 I still:

1) Have to remember to renew my SWMA (they don't notify me)
2) Can't get pricing on the SWMA without contacting a human and having them
create a huge configuration before they can set pricing.
3) Get a paper invoice.
4) Have to pay by check.

I have been doing so since 1999 and the process really hasn't changed.
At some point in the next few months I'll be moving off the JS12 Blade I
have to a new Power 8 box and I expect it will be the long drawn out
process it always has been. It would be pretty cool to make the
process as cutting edge as a Power 8 is, but, alas, the process is still the
same as when I ordered my first AS400.......

Pete Helgren
www.petesworkshop.com
GIAC Secure Software Programmer-Java

On 3/30/2016 9:16 AM, Aaron Bartell wrote:

Then again, I don't see any prices at

https://krengeltech.com/docutransfer/solutions/

KrengelTech has two divisions, one is IBM i, the other deals with mail
automation (not on IBM i). Website is actively being re-done to
better address this.

But to address your point, on rpg-xml.com we have an automated free
trial download. We follow-up with email asking about their situation
because there's usually handholding when an RPG shop does their first
XML web services, including the purchase of services.

Our next effort, Litmis Spaces (spaces.litmis.com), will be much more
self service. So maybe my stance needs to change to the personality
of the purchaser and what they're used to. There's a crowd that
expects Amazon-aws-like purchasing and then there are more traditional
I-want-a-call type personalities.

Maybe there are some products that should be purchased/installed via
shopping cart and others require BP intervention? Jim mentioned there
are much more complex situations. Maybe somebody could expound so I
am no longer ignorant?


Aaron Bartell
litmis.com - Services for open source on IBM i


On Wed, Mar 30, 2016 at 8:52 AM, Rob Berendt <rob@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Aaron,

I agree that you should be able to find this on the internet.
But I already listed my suspicions as to why not further down the list.

Then again, I don't see any prices at
https://krengeltech.com/docutransfer/solutions/


Rob Berendt
--
IBM Certified System Administrator - IBM i 6.1 Group Dekko Dept 1600
Mail to: 2505 Dekko Drive
Garrett, IN 46738
Ship to: Dock 108
6928N 400E
Kendallville, IN 46755
http://www.dekko.com





From: Aaron Bartell <aaronbartell@xxxxxxxxx>
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: 03/30/2016 09:02 AM
Subject: Re: Advanced Job Scheduler
Sent by: "MIDRANGE-L" <midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

Call your Business Partner.

I almost bit my tongue, but decided against it.

Am I wrong to be fed up with the need to contact a business partner
to gain access to products I already know I want to buy? IBM (Steve
Will) is agreeing that automation** is an ingredient of success. I
see the formal IBM Business Partners as an unnecessary hurdle to get
over. Imagine a world where I could click and pay on a web page to
get new products installed on IBM i in 2 minutes. What am I missing?

**http://bit.ly/youandi-strategy2015

Aaron Bartell
litmis.com - Services for open source on IBM i


On Wed, Mar 30, 2016 at 7:04 AM, Rob Berendt <rob@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

What it all boils down to is:
Call your Business Partner.

While it would be nice to simply find a list price on the internet
and

be

done with it many software products simply do not work that way.

IDK why. I have my suspicions:
1 - To avoid sticker shock we want you to listen to our siren's.
You can't resist their voices.
2 - No one pays list. That's just there to gouge you on maintenance
at

x%

of current list price.
3 - As long as you're looking at... you should really look at ... also.
4 - Honest attempt to make sure you're buying the right thing. Or
don't buy 5770-xyz when you may be entitled to a free upgrade from

5761-xyz.

Now, if you're trying to convince your boss and he's the only one
who is allowed to contact your business partner, then I can
understand your reluctance.

Some of the BP's on this list are getting tired of answering such
questions. Irks them when they do all the research and then you
contact your national BP who only says tell me what they told you
and undercuts the price.

Rob Berendt
--
IBM Certified System Administrator - IBM i 6.1 Group Dekko Dept 1600
Mail to: 2505 Dekko Drive
Garrett, IN 46738
Ship to: Dock 108
6928N 400E
Kendallville, IN 46755
http://www.dekko.com

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